AFTER THE BATTLE, THE GIRLS RECOVER FROM WHAT THEY HAD LOST. DRAGONBOND RETURNS TO HIS NEW LAIR TO START A NEW PILE OF TREASURE, BUT HE HAS ONE LITTLE PROBLEM.

i do not own MLP

Chapter 14

Out of Memory

Later in the day, the sun was setting over the battlegrounds that was finally soundly silent. The fires of the fallen airship were put out so not to cause a spreading fire. The wounded were all placed on improvised beds from used materials from the woods and from the downed ship. Tents were made with whatever cloth they could find. It was a dismal sight. There were no fatalities, but the injuries were severe. It was fortunate that the military ship held some medical supplies to reduce the pain of the injured. The celestial guard did what they could until the medical ship would arrive.

Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie helped with whatever they could. Pinkie would try to give some light jokes and encouragement. She was careful not to make some ponies laugh too hard and cause them to feel pain from too much laughter.

Rarity had a knowledge of how to ration cloths made for the injured so not to run short of what was needed. They needed replacements for changing out bandages and quickly washed and sanitized the old ones to use again.

Applejack was a big help with building tents and beds with her own knowledge of construction for these things. Using vines and branches from the forest was immensely helpful to her to construct each tent.

The three of them still hoped their other friends would return safely. It had been a long time since they were gone. Also, Twilight needed to get back before her spell wore off. They had no idea to how far they had gone. This caused them to worry more.

"Ponies coming from the south!" a look out guard called out. He pointed in the direction of what appeared to be pegasi flew down from.

The three mares rushed from their tasks hoping it was their long-gone friends returning with Rainbow Dash. "Oh darlings, we've been worried sick. We had no idea if you were even going to make it back." Rarity greeted her two friends with a sigh of relief.

Applejack looked around her friends to notice some pony missing. "Where is Dash?" She asked with dread in fearing for the worse.

Twilight dropped her head. They had noticed Fluttershy seemed to have been crying for a while. "We… we couldn't get to her in time." Twilight told them with a somber tone of sadness. The three mares gasped in shock and despair. "She caught up to the dragon stallion, but we lost her in the storm. After we saw the fires from the dragon pony cease, we thought the fight was over. We called and looked for her everywhere. I hoped she made it back here if she had escaped but…" Twilight couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence. It hurt even more so to the realization that Rainbow Dash had indeed fallen from battle against the dragon stallion.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie broke into tears and wailed in deep sorrow as they held each other. Applejack was always known to keep her composure and cry from the inside, but this was too much for her to handle. She may have had a bitter rivalry with the sporty pegasus and the two would butt heads constantly. But it was those memories that made her realize that there would be no more of them to come now that her overly egotistic friend was gone. Applejack tried her best to hold her sorrow, but tears freely flowed from her eyes as she stomped the ground in deject anger.

"Consarn it Dash! Why did ya have ta go alone!?" she shouted sadness evident in her tone.

Fluttershy could not see her country friend act like this in anger. She came and embraced her friend. "Please… not like this. Don't do this for Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy begged the earth pony not wanting her to harbor anger from her friend's death.

Twilight's wings soon faded with the spell as the sun finally vanished from the horizon. She let her tears free as well as they all mourned the loss of her friend. What would happen now that not just their friend, but the element of loyalty was gone? What would this mean for Equestria? Despite Rainbow Dash being a key element to the protection of the land and magic of friendship, her being their friend was more important. Then the dreadful thought came to their minds. Who would tell her parents of what happened? More importantly, who was going to tell Scootaloo the heart-breaking news?

There were flashes of feeling limp through the storm. Flashes of flying over the land in the clouds yet was not feeling the sensations of flying. Flashes of heading towards a canyon in the desert from the air. Then flashes of being carried into a cave and feeling the dry heated air.

Awaking in the shadows and near a small hole filled with some flammable liquid, a fire burned to give off some light to give some hint of where she was. Rainbow Dash batted her eyes open to find herself in a cave of some kind. She tried to move, but she found her movements slightly restricted. She looked to herself to see some legs, in makeshift splints and fiber from plants that made for bandages on parts of her body and on her wings. Soon the feeling of pain came back to her throughout her body. She dropped her head on the ground to find it was some pile of long dry grass as a bed. She winced as the soreness and sharp pain rattled her senses.

Was this Tartarus; a dark and hard place with pain shooting through her? What did she do to deserve being in this place? But then again? How could it be when she was wrapped in bandages from her injuries? More importantly, how long was she in here? She could not do much to explore either way in her condition. All she could do was wait to see what would come. She did wish that there was at least some creature, any creature here to tell her what was going on. Even if it was some keeper of souls of Tartarus. She just wanted to know where she was.

It was not long when her eyes shot open from hearing the clopping steps of hooves walking on the stone floor of the cave. It sounded like it was coming towards her. But then she heard another set of steps. They sounded louder and sounded as if there was some tapping with every step it took. The most part the steps did not sound as hard as hooves, but they did not sound like no soft paws either.

Then from the darkness she saw two individual pairs of eyes that were glowing like a feral animal at night against the flames of the fire. Rainbow Dash froze in fear thinking they were a pair of carnivorous beasts, smelling the scent of her and finding their way to her. With no way to escape or even move, she was at the mercy of whatever it was. She assumed it was a chimera hearing the steps of hooves and perhaps tiger paws with its claws making that tapping sound. The snake might be preoccupied with something else since she didn't notice its eyes anywhere in the dark.

But since it was a beast that could communicate, maybe she could talk her way out of it. Despite it not being a winnable plan to act upon; chimeras only would talk about eating their prey. Perhaps could out with the beast. Rainbow Dash took a breath before speaking. "Hey there, heh." She chuckled nervously from the floor. It wasn't a good start, but it seemed to make the eyes pause where the beast stood in the dark. "I know you think I am probably good to eat with me being a pony, but look at me. I'm covered in bandages and have some sort of deadly disease. Would you really want to risk this kind of meal?" She hoped that would convince or just start a conversation to give her time to think of what else she could say. She could hardly move her legs, much less her head from the head ache she had.

The pair of eyes stared at her as she swallowed the growing lump in her throat. They started to move towards the lit area until it revealed the red eyes of the dragon stallion. "I don't eat horses. At least not yet." He said.

Rainbow Dash was partially relived, the other part of her was inwardly trembling with nervousness. Then her eyes widened more when she saw a golden colored dragon come into the light of the fire. "Although I wouldn't mind a little roast horse meat if you should raise my temper or die on us." The golden dragon said. This put Rainbow Dash more on edge.

The dragon stallion had brought out the carcass of an animal to rip off a piece of the meat and place it on a stick near the fire to cook. "Just count your stars that you are even alive." He said. The golden dragon just started eating his own kill raw.

Rainbow Dash would have vomited if her stomach wasn't already in pain. In fact, how was she in one piece? How did she get here? "Did… did you save me?" She asked in surprise if that was the case.

The dragon stallion sighed with slight frustrated. "Don't look too much into it." Was all he said.

"Aw, my brother had an act of mercy in battle." The golden dragon teased. "My brother, the merciful; what songs they will sing of your big soft heart." He continued to mock his brother. Dragonbond then pounced at his brother as the two started a tussle in an aggressive manner. Claw could be heard still laughing at his brother.

Rainbow Dash was even more confused from not only hearing that they were brothers, but that they even acted like brothers around each other.

After a long scuffle with his brother, Dragonbond broke off from Claw. "Ah shut it, you slithering snake." Dragonbond had said in annoyance. "I just couldn't watch a dumb animal cry like that." Claw just shrugged and rolled his eyes as he sat back next to his meal to feast on.

Rainbow Dash furrowed her brows from the insult. But she was surely grateful if he did rescue her from that predicament, even though he was the cause of it in the first place. "Is this your way of saying sorry for throwing me into the sea like that?" She accused Dragonbond.

Dragonbond sent her a sudden hard stare that made her flinch. "You were the ones that attacked our cave, you were the ones that lost most of my treasure, and you were the one that didn't back away from the fight I tried to have you avoid. If there is anyone that owes anyone an apology, it is you and your kind." He didn't need to raise his voice to show how angry and intimidating he was to make Rainbow Dash shake in fear. She could even hear a slight growl after he spoke.

Rainbow Dash hadn't thought of it like that. "Y-yeah? But what about those ponies you placed in the hospital of that one town? Also, what about those diamond dogs you slaughtered?" She challenged.

"Those cowardly ponies started the fight with me and I humbled them. I told those dogs what I wanted and they attacked first with an intent to kill. I won't apologize for anything that any of you ponies or dogs started. Now that you lost all my gems I had honorably claimed, I have been set back from ever returning home!" Dragonbond raised his tone at the last sentence with eyes glowing in anger.

This made Rainbow Dash become slightly more timid when speaking. "C-c-couldn't you have just asked?" Asked Rainbow Dash flinching under him as much as her body could allow.

Dragonbond's wings quivered slightly opening as his temper grew. Seeing wings as large as his spread and shake in such a manner to his anger made her feel a deep chill. "A dragon does not ask for treasure! A dragon fights for the claim of one through a fair and honorable fight!" Said Dragonbond with his voice still raised. Rainbow Dash was too afraid to ask any more question that might anger him more.

"Calm yourself brother." Claw said after pausing from his meal. "You can't expect these lesser creatures to understand anything of dragon honor." The golden dragon said as he continued to eat his meal.

"H-hey! At least we don't go beating others up that are weaker than us." Rainbow Dash said offended from hearing her kind referred to as lesser creatures. "You dragons always take your treasures without thinking of those you take it from and then fly back to the Dragonlands to sleep and be grumpy and mean to…" Rainbow Dash couldn't finish her sentence when Claw suddenly raised from his spot and slamming his claws into the ground and shaking the cave. Dragonbond also gave her a heated glare that made his eyes glow like fire and his round pupils turn to slits.

"DO NOT COMPARE OUR KIND TO THOSE WORTHLESS SCALED SACKS OF RAT DUNG!" Claw roared at the trembling blue pegasus. Flames fumed through his clenched sharpened teeth as his eyes glowed as well with boundless rage. Rainbow Dash shrunk into herself as much as her injured body could as she thought she just dug her own grave with this.

Dragonbond then raised a wing in front of his brother. "Don't waste your effort on this one. She's obviously dim witted to common sense if she speaks like that to those that can burn her to ashes in a second." Dragonbond snorted at her. "Besides, what ever happened to calming one's self from clueless lower creatures?" Said Dragonbond as he raised a brow and gave a smug smirk.

Claw growled at his brother's taunting before looking back at the shivering pegasus. "Consider that you last warning. Next time, my brother won't be able to stop me from feasting on your raw corpse." Claw said before turning around to sit by his meal and ate it with much aggression.

Dragonbond looked back at Rainbow Dash. "May this be a lesson to you. Watch your tongue when your captors can easily reduce you to ashes in a matter of seconds." Dragonbond said and receiving a quick and rapid nod from the quivering blue pegasus. Dragonbond then turned back to his cooking meat. One side had been cooked and now he turned it to cook the other side.

Rainbow remained quiet for a while as she regained her composure. She then had a question to ask. "W-what do you plan on doing with me?" She asked almost afraid to hear the answer.

Dragonbond watched his meat cook as he responded back to her. "You are in no condition to travel much less be carried anywhere in your condition. You need to rest up a bit for maybe a week before we could at least move you." Dragonbond said with a hint of annoyance as that meant they would have to keep her there with them.

"Why can't you put me on a cart and carry me to the nearest town?" Rainbow Dash asked thinking that would be a better idea.

"Because we are far from any town in the middle of a desert. The heat would kill you if the predators don't get to you first from your weakened state. Traveling to a town would only expose us and where we could be. Also, how would we carry your hide from a straight drop to the ground?" Claw pointed out the flaws of her idea.

"And your body would suffer more just by trying to lift you onto anything." Dragonbond added. "The best thing, and unfortunate, is to wait until you are at least ready to be carried without your body receiving any more damage."

Rainbow Dash blew through her lips in frustration. "Great, I'm stuck in a cave with a couple of…" She paused as she caught herself from saying anything offensive as she remembered Claw's last warning. "…generous and respectable dragons?" Said Rainbow Dash with a nervous chuckle. Hoping that would satisfy the golden dragon from lashing out at her.

Claw had been narrowing his eyes at her ever since she started speaking. "You seem to learn quick enough." He said before finishing his meal. The bones were almost picked dry of flesh. Rainbow Dash swallowed the lump in her throat seeing this. Especially when she saw the dragon crunching on the bone as his additional meal. Sweat started forming on her brow at the thought of how he could easily snap her in half with his jaws.

"S-s you promise that you will let me go?" Rainbow Dash asked humbly. She didn't want to risk any hope by antagonizing them further to return home.

Dragonbond sighed thinking this through. "I have no intention of letting you stay any longer than you have to, but I am also of running the risk of you telling any creature about where we are." Dragonbond pointed out his reasons of either releasing her or debating of keeping her alive if it meant risking their secrecy.

"I-I promise I won't tell a living soul. I just want to go home." Rainbow Dash said sincerely as she truly wanted to go home as soon as she could move to travel.

Dragonbond narrowed his eyes at her as he figured her out. "How do I know you are telling the truth? Knowing ponies, they make promises and suddenly change their minds if they feel if it is for the best for their kind to benefit." Dragonbond said feeling they were no different from other dishonorable creatures.

Rainbow Dash had already gathered he was heavy on honor and that questioning it would insult him and his dragon brother. She needed to do the same if she didn't want to awaken the wrath of these two if she tried to go back on her word if she broke her own promise. "I swear by my wings to fly with, I promise not to tell another creature about where you two are staying."

"I can assume you will call off any attempts to find us so no other pony suffer your same outcome or something far worse?" Claw asked making sure she would at least try to keep others safe from trying to attack them again.

Rainbow Dash figured that would also be something she would do. "I just don't want any ponies getting hurt. I promise I'll try to talk them out of trying to track you down." She also promised.

"We will see." Dragonbond said before bringing some fruits and water in an empty gourd he carved out to carry water in. He placed them next to Rainbow Dash before turning to go eat his cooking meal.

Rainbow Dash tried to at least move her head to each out and bite the fruit, but it was proving quite the task in her state. "Um, I can use a little help." She requested.

Dragonbond grumbled as he was so close to eat his cooked meat. He took the cooked meat from the fire and placed it down on a rock. "As if I didn't do that enough as you were passed out." Dragonbond said as he came over to help her eat.

"Didn't your brother help out?" Dash asked curiously.

"I was the one that said you should have just starved to death." He said not feeling she was worth keeping her alive and let nature choose her fate.

"You know, I think I'll be fine with him helping me out." Rainbow Dash said feeling more comfortable with the dragon stallion helping her eat.

"Lucky me." Dragonbond said sarcastically. He then propped her head up under his tail as he coiled it around to elevate her head to eat and drink.

Rainbow Dash was amazed that his tail was this flexible and long to move like a snake. It was also softer to rest on like a pillow. Dragonbond began breaking the fruit in his hooves in smaller pieces and dropped each bit in her mouth to eat. He would then after pour a small amount of water in her mouth to drink and not too much that would make her choke. He used his wings to fan her from the heat of the desert outside. He used some of the water form the gourd to pour on her to keep her cool. This would be a routine for the next week until Rainbow Dash was fit enough to travel.

"So, what am I supposed to do while I get better? I need something to do." Rainbow Das said while munching on some fruit.

"You could sleep. That way we can get some peace and quiet." Claw said in a flat tone.

"I could hear you, ya know." Said Rainbow Dash upset at the comment.

Dragonbond plugged her mouth with a big enough piece of fruit to keep her from speaking. "He meant for you to hear that." Dragonbond smirked. Rainbow Dash glared up at Dragonbond. If only she was fully healed, she'd smack him right across the face. "You're in no position to do much of anything much less able to hold a book to read."

Rainbow Dash contemplated on what she was about to ask. "Can you at least tell me some stories? I'm sure you guys have been around to know all kinds of things." Rainbow Dash asked curiously about what experiences they had if they lived far from Equestria. Judging by Dragonbond's unknown anatomy, he must have quite the story to tell if he actually lives with dragons.

Dragonbond shook his head. "I'm doing the feeding; you're going to have to let my brother be the story teller." Dragonbond said.

"Oh, come on!" Both Rainbow Dash and Claw argued with Dragonbond.

Dragonbond had to purse his lips and wince from the sudden whining from them both. "Hey, I'm doing my part here. "You can always have me tell the stories and have scale butt feed you instead."

Rainbow Dash and Claw's eyes widened as they looked at each other. "No thanks, I think I'm good with your brother telling the story." She said.

Claw nodded in agreement. "At least I don't have to get near that walking broom sweeper." Claw said not wanting to be anywhere near Rainbow Dash or much less having to feed her like a servant. He settled himself as he cleared his throat. "We were young on our home island. We decided to travel to the bay…" Claw went on with his story as the blue pegasus listened with all interest to hear about a never before seen land full of dragons. The story went on and Rainbow Dash held onto every word spoken about the dragon brother's adventures as young dragons, or at least that was what Claw referred Dragonbond as.

Over Equestria, there held a heavy air of tragedy and sorrow. On the day the ship had returned with the wounded celestial guard, word was soon spread that Rainbow Dash had fallen in a battle against a dragon. Details on her demise wasn't necessary, all that mattered was that an important pegasus and friend was no more. Friends and family grieved over the loss. It took three days to make the preparations for the time of mourning and remembrance as they held a funeral of an empty casket of Rainbow Dash. Two funeral services were being held with empty caskets. One in Ponyville and one in Cloudsdale. Her hometown and the town she had helped many times before and ponies there grew close to her for all she had done for them.

In Ponyville, her friends, and Scootaloo sat in the front row as the funeral proceeded. Even the princesses were present as they felt this was truly their fault for sending them out on this quest to stop this creature. Over in Cloudsdale, her parents attended and gave their eulogy followed by the ones given by neighbors and friends of the family. Many things were said about memories of the past, good times, inspirations, dreams, regrets and Rainbow Dash personally as a pony.

Unexpectedly, Scootaloo walked up to the podium. Tears still falling down her face and carrying a rolled-up piece of paper in her mouth. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom rushed to follow her as emotional support.

Scootaloo placed the paper down on the podium and unrolled it as a picture of herself and Rainbow Dash together. She took a breath before speaking. "Rainbow Dash was a friend to everyone. But to me she was even more. She was my role model; she was my inspiration…" She paused as she tried to compose herself from her emotions letting loose. "…she… she was like the sister I never had when most of my family is gone all the time." She started to break.

Many ponies in the service were deeply touched and started to break emotionally as well seeing the broken filly. The remaining five friends were heart broken for the flightless filly as they themselves, started to break in tears hearing the words come freely from Scootaloo's heart

"I had hoped she would help me to be the best pony that I could be… and now… now that hope is gone. She always made me feel like I would be able to fly one day. I can't fly already, but now it feels like my wings are completely gone along with Rainbow Dash. I… I don't know what to do now. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now." Her voice breaking as she continued. "N-now she will never b-be there to try to help me grow into what she was. Sh-sh-she will not be there t-t-to see what I grow into because of what she had inspired me to be." Her two friends place their hooves on her back seeing she was at her limit. "G-g-goodbye Rainbow Dash. P-p-please what out for me wherever… you…you are."

It was then Scootaloo broke down completely as she wailed in sorrow. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom embraced their crying friend and held her tight for her to let it all out.

When the service was over in Cloudsdale, the Wonderbolts made a special flight detail in the air and carried the empty casket into the air on a cloud to honor Rainbow Dash since she had always dreamed to become one of them. A pegasus choir sung a final song for the funeral as fire arrows shot into the casket to symbolize Rainbow Dash's spirit returning to the sky on a wind's current. Both towns had made a small memorial statue of Rainbow Dash for ponies to remember and pay respects for the special pegasus.

After it was time to return home, Scootaloo had been taken to her house with her aunts. Her friends came with her as they felt they couldn't leave her at a time like this. Twilight and what remained of her friends met at the library. It was somberly silence that filled the room as none had words to try and lighten the mood. Pinkie's mane was no longer in her usual puffy style as it was as flat and straight as silk string. Even her color had faded a bit from the sadness that welled up in her.

Pinkie was the one who started to say something, but not as she would usually attempt to bring a smile. This time, she needed some pony to make her smile. "Please, some pony say something." She begged as the silence was tearing her up inside.

"What can be said? We can't find any bright side ta this. Sure, we can hold her in our hearts and live on fer her, but she was more ta us than uh normal friend." Applejack said feeling her sorrow sting deep every time she realized Rainbow Dash was not coming back.

"It was my fault." Fluttershy admitted to them all. "If I had been braver to go into that storm, maybe we could have found her. M-maybe sh-she would still be…" The yellow pegasus broke into tears as she continued to convince herself that it was her fault.

Twilight held Fluttershy close as the broken-down mare cried uncontrollably. "There is no way you could have known that small time would have made a difference. There was no way we could have stopped this from happening. T-these things just happen." Twilight said trying her best to comfort her emotionally fragile friend.

Rarity began to cry seeing Fluttershy this devastated to blame herself for the daring pegasus' demise. "Please don't blame yourself, darling. If any pony is to blame, it is that monster that killed he." Rarity said beginning to feel a burning anger and hatred for the dragon stallion. "He did this to her. One day we will find that demon and rid him of this land for good."

"Darn tootin." Applejack agreed with every fiber of her body. "Ah may not have magic or fly, but Ah tell ya, Ah will find uh way ta get revenge one way or another ta avenger Dash." She said with a burning desire for vengeance.

Pinkie Pie started to feel the same kind of burning desire. "Yeah, we'll find that big meanie and give him a permanent time out in Tartarus." She said feeling her sense of justice rise.

Twilight nodded as she still held Fluttershy. "Remembering what I can from the way we saw him act and fight, I am sure I can find a way to fight him next time if we meet again."

They all nodded in agreement. This was something they would all help with now it was personal to them. With that settled, they all parted ways to head back to their home. Twilight headed to her basement and wasted no time with trying to plan a strategy with everything she knew to bring this monster down. Spike watched her with much concern.

"Hey Twilight? Is there anything I can give you?" asked Spike as he was slightly worried to get closer.

"Lots of coffee, Spike." Twilight said as she was determined to stay awake as much as possible in coming up with a plan.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest first? It's been a long day." Spike asked as he assumed she would need to rest with the emotional state that every pony was in.

"I'm fine, Spike." She said flatly.

"But Twilight…" He persisted with his concern for her mental health.

"I said I'm fine! Would you rest if it was Rarity that was killed by that beast!?" Shouted Twilight. This made Spike trip back as he was shocked and hurt by her tone and words. Twilight then realized who she was talking to and what she just said. "S-Spike… I-I'm… Oh spike!" She said as she quickly scooped him up in a hug feeling her own emotions let out as she felt she had suppressing them the whole time. Now her unstable emotions lashed out at her closest companion.

Spike only smiled to see she wasn't fully gone. He hugged her tight in response. "I am going to miss her, too. But I don't want you to break yourself over this. Let's just take a long-needed rest to settle our emotions and then we can think of a plan together when our minds and hearts are clear. How does that sound?" He suggested.

Twilight placed her dragon friend down. She gave a light chuckle and wiped her eyes. "You're right, Spike. I guess that is why you are my number one assistant." She said grateful for his presence.

Spike blushed from the praise. "Aw, you don't need to remind me. I'll always be there to watch over you." He said patting her back. "Now let's go find you something to eat and run a good warm bath for you. I'll even get the squeaky rubber books for you." He offered.

Twilight giggled from his enthusiasm. "That sounds nice." She agreed.

"That's more like it. Now let's get out of this place until tomorrow. WOAH!" Spike said starting to lead the way out until he was pulled back into her embrace. He was surprised that she suddenly hugged him from behind.

"Please don't ever leave me like this, Spike." Twilight pleaded needing to hear him assure her that he wouldn't do anything that would take him away from her. The thought of one of her close friends being suddenly taken away placed a fear in her that any one of them could be next. Her mentality that they would all be together had been shattered by the cruel reality of life. "Promise you'll never do anything dangerous."

Spike could understand why she would feel like this. It was the same thing he was feeling. He turned himself to hug Twilight back. "I promise as long as you promise too." Said Spike wanting the same thing to know Twilight would not do anything that would take her away from him as well.

Twilight sniffed and smiled. "I will." The two remained hugging for a while longer as they wanted to hold onto this moment for as long as possible as they allowed to let their tears fall freely.

The week had passed rather quickly for Rainbow Dash. She had been enjoying the stories Claw had been telling her. It was as if he wasn't even a fraction of the way done with the stories he had. It seemed that every day and night had its own adventure around every corner.

They were far from what she had seen from Equestrian dragons. They seemed tougher, more intimidating, and kind of awesome. The daring things they did on their land and dangerous animals they had fought. They lived off the land for food and water and hardly slept or ate. All that time to live freely without having to worry about a house to live in or things to buy. She wished she could at least have the endurance to go without food, water, or sleep. She wished she didn't have to worry about the costs of living.

Suddenly she felt a nudge on her back. "Hey, what dives?!" She exclaimed in surprise.

Dragonbond was pressing her to rock her body a bit. "Well it seems you are able to handle that nudge." He said testing her state of being.

"Yeah, but its's still sore a bit." Complained Dash shifting uncomfortably.

"That means we can be able to move you for travel." Dragonbond said as he began drawing a rough map of the land in the sand. "Alright, where would you like to be left?" He asked the pegasus.

Rainbow Dash looked at the map. It wasn't much to go on but she could figure out where some of the places were. She was able to lie up right on her belly to look down on the map better. She then pointed on the map in the sand of the cave. "Here, that I where Ponyville is."

"What a creative name." Claw said sarcastically finding the name to be typical for ponies. "Does everything in this land have to be in reference to equine?"

"Like your names for things are any better." She assumed not knowing the name of the land from where they came from or any land they had been to.

"You don't deserve to know the name of our land." Dragonbond said in a harsh tone.

"Hey, after all the time we had this week?" Rainbow Dash complained.

"Of me serving you food and water like a servant? That is hardly anything close to a fraction of us telling you the name of our homeland." Dragonbond said turning away from her to walk into the back of the cave in the darkness away from the fire.

"But… but I thought all your stories were awesome." She tried to tell of some appreciation she had for them.

"You only listened to them because you couldn't do anything else to be entertained. You actually slept through one during the middle of it." Claw said feeling insulted by that she did that.

"Give me a break, the way you explained about that place with waterfalls, the clear cool pool, and the sounds of trees made me feel relaxed as I imagined it. It felt like I was really there." Rainbow Dash explained herself for her reason of sleeping through the story.

"Either way…" Dragonbond said walking back into the light with some skinned hides and vine ropes. "Listening to our stories does not make one worthy of another's trust." Dragonbond said starting to tie the ropes to the ends of the skinned hides.

"Well what would make one worthy of your trust?" Rainbow Dash said a bit upset of having to work for something like this just to know the name of the land they came from.

"You can't be told what can make you worthy. It just has to happen." Dragonbond said as he continued with his work. Rainbow Dash just huffed in irritation, but she understood his reason. Someone's worth must be earned by their genuine efforts.

She started watching him do whatever it was he was doing with the hide and vines curiously. Knowing how he got that skin chilled her to the bone. She didn't want to imagine what he could have possibly used for it. "What are you making?" She asked.

"You are fit for travel. At least being carried when traveling." Dragonbond explained.

Rainbow Dash perked up with excitement. Even though it didn't feel it had been a week with all the stories they had been telling. Reading from a book was fine when reading out loud. But hearing out loud from someone else with a story just as exciting as the books she read was something exhilarating especially when they were true stories.

Rainbow Dash shook her head from her thoughts. "So, I can go home now?" She asked hopefully.

"And get rid of your burden." Claw said in a relieved tone.

"Hey, I wasn't complaining about listening to your stories." Said Rainbow Dash feeling offended

"Let's give her that she wasn't a complete nuisance." Dragonbond reasoned with his brother.

"You were not the one she was bugging to hear more stories." Claw pointed out of his reason to call her a burden.

"Exactly, I wasn't. I thank you for taking all that stress upon yourself While I just relaxed and had fun during your little bed time story." Dragonbond teased his brother. Rainbow Dash covered her mouth to keep from giggling and not to show Claw that she was laughing at him.

Claw stood up aggressively glaring at his brother. Dragonbond just gave a calming demeanor with a raised brow and a smug smirk. Dragonbond motioned his eyes to Rainbow Dash reminding him that fighting him now may cause her to be injured more and need to stay longer. Claw gave a frustrated low barking growl that he had to hold his temper. "You win this one." He said curling up to lie down and face away from them. "But you're going off on your own to dump the fur bag." He snorted with smoke blowing out his nostrils.

Rainbow Dash frowned in offence at the golden grumpy dragon. "Ah, don't listen to the baby iguana. He just needs to get his beauty rest." Dragonbond continued to antagonize his brother.

"Laugh it up while you can. When you get back, I'm ripping the fur off your tail." Claw growled.

"Alright pony, hold your breath." Dragonbond told her.

"Why?" She asked confused at the sudden demand.

"Do you want to suffer though this?" He asked annoyed at her questioning. Rainbow Dash sighed and took in a deep breath. Dragonbond then used a wing and tail to lift and pull her over to the skinned hide on the ground. Rainbow Dash had braced herself from the soreness of her body as he moved her.

She released her breath after he placed her onto small plank made from sticks with grass on it over the skinned hide on the floor. Dragonbond then looped the ropes on him. Lastly, he came to place a blind over Rainbow Dash's eyes. "This is so you don't know the way back here." Dragonbond said.

"What, you don't think I'll keep my word to not rat you guys out?" She asked upset that he didn't trust her on her promise.

"I just don't want you to come back asking for more stories from uncle Claw." Dragonbond smirked with a chuckle.

"Laugh it up fuzz ball." Claw grumbled from his spot.

Rainbow Dash bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Alright, let us be on our way." Dragonbond then started pulling Rainbow Dash in her carrier towards the cave entrance.

She could feel the heat of the outside desert air as they neared the outside world. It felt like it was still morning and it would get hotter later on. Rainbow Dash didn't mind since she was finally going home. She hoped that they didn't think she was dead or anything. Maybe they still had search parties out for her in case they thought she washed up on shore. Yeah, that could be what they were still doing. She felt she had nothing to worry about.

Then she felt herself jerk with the carrier as Dragonbond had begun to fly and lift her in the carrier into the air. the skinned hide of her carrier started to cover her from the rays of the sun. Dragonbond carried her as if she was in a sack held by ropes. He flew off at a low altitude. Low enough not to be noticed but also high enough that the pegasus would not get struck by any trees.

Rainbow Dash listened to him flapping and could hear the sounds of the wind blowing against the carrier she was in to know they were on their way. "Are you sure I can't come back to hear more stories?" She asked hoping that she could.

"We can't be telling you everything about us." Dragonbond pointed out as their home were to remain a secret and hidden from everyone outside of it. "Besides, my brother and I are not planning of staying in this domesticated land."

"Ah phooie." Rainbow Dash pouted. "You could always write novels about your stories." She tried to convince Dragonbond to somehow find a way for him to keep telling her stories.

"And have you ponies criticize what my brother and I do and complain about how savage or untrue our stories are to them? As if they could even begin understand what it is like to live on the edge," Dragonbond said with a slight bitterness.

Rainbow Dash couldn't really disagree. Hardly any pony she new would live half the day as Dragonbond and his brother. They were full outdoor living creatures apart from the domesticated life. Even she couldn't imagine her own life living from a comfy bed and a room full of decorations of the things she liked. Also, she knew Ponies would complain about the things in the story even though they had no idea themselves of how true it really was. For them to think they could do something even better that the dragon brothers did.

"Well it was worth a shot at asking. I wish I could at least go on one ad…" Rainbow Dash started to say before Dragonbond cut her off with a response to her wishful thinking.

"You wouldn't last half a day on your own. It's best to stay content in your safe life." Dragonbond said already knowing what she wanted to say.

Her pride was under attack and she argued his opinion of her. "O-Oh yeah? Well I can handle anything. I'm the most awesome pony in this land that no pony could beat. I basically have every pony… OW!" She shouted as her carried had it a bump in the air. "What was that for!?"

"Maybe it could have been turbulence." Dragonbond said with a smirk she couldn't see.

"You liar! You did that on purpose!" Rainbow Dash accused.

"Ah-ah, I said it could have been turbulence. I didn't say it was." He chuckled to himself.

Rainbow Dash scrunched her face in a scowling glare. "I hate you."

This just caused Dragonbond to laugh knowing how he managed to get under her skin. "Just sleep for now. We'll be there by midnight." He told her.

There was one question she wanted to know. It bugged her ever since she first stayed with them in their cave. "Why did you save my life?" She asked suddenly.

Dragonbond was caught off guard by the sudden question. He hadn't even plan to give her an answer as he didn't suspect she would ask. "it's not important." He said bluntly. Images of himself stuck in that wall with the rising magma flashed through his mind.

"Come on, you can at least tell me why you saved my life." She continued to press the subject.

Dragonbond figured he at least could tell her that much for giving him a worthy fight. "I know what it was like to almost meet my end while feeling helpless to save myself. I was just a toddler when it happened." He said remembering how his dragon father saved him just in time.

Rainbow Dash went quiet not knowing how to respond to that. She felt that was a very personal subject she shouldn't try to push on him. Rainbow Dash figured she could catch up on sleep to pass the time. If it was going to take until midnight, she wouldn't have to be bored waiting the whole long way over. She rested her head down and just started to dream about flying again.